Advertising your photography services helps you attract new customers and build your reputation. Advertising represents an investment in the growth of your business, so, when you plan your campaign, you must select the media and the creative approach that will give you the best return on your investment. The best way for a small business to measure the return on investment in advertising is to compare the cost of the campaign with the value of business it generates.

Market Sector

Your advertising will give you a better return on investment if it covers the market you want to reach with no wastage. If you specialize in wedding photography but only want to work in your local area, you will get a better return by advertising in local media rather than a national directory of photographers. If your specialty is product photography, you would get a better return by advertising in publications that cover the creative industry so that you can target creative directors and designers who commission photographers.

Specialist Directories

Listing your business in a directory of photographers provides a good return on investment by helping you reach potential customers who are looking for a particular type of photographer in a specific area. The website of the Professional Photographers of America, for example, offers a “Find-a-Photographer” service. Visitors enter details of their location and select from a range of photography categories. As an active member of the association, you can upload sample images together with details of your business and location free of charge. If you subscribe to a directory that charges for listing your business, make sure that it covers your market and location.

Business Listings

Business listing websites allow you to list details of your business and location free of charge. Although you incur no costs for the listing, you can invest in related marketing activities by encouraging customers to post reviews of your business on the site. A series of positive reviews will help to move your listing higher in the rankings.

Offers

When you pay for an advertisement, you can improve the return on investment by including a special offer to increase response levels. A special offer, such as a free shot of a couple before their marriage, can help you to win the full wedding contract by building your customers’ confidence.

About the Author

Based in the United Kingdom, Ian Linton has been a professional writer since 1990. His articles on marketing, technology and distance running have appeared in magazines such as “Marketing” and “Runner's World.” Linton has also authored more than 20 published books and is a copywriter for global companies. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history and economics from Bristol University.